Action Bronson – Blue Chips 7000

Action Bronson – Blue Chips 7000 (Atlantic Records, 2017)

After a two-year hiatus, Action Bronson has returned to conclude his Blue Chips trilogy, one of the most beloved mixtape series in recent memory. Unfortunately, Blue Chips 7000 fails to live up to previous installments. Bronson’s eccentric, one-of-a-kind personality is simultaneously his biggest strength and his biggest weakness, as his rapping has become formulaic and sometimes repetitive. The album’s biggest strength, though, is its phenomenal production, which carries Bronson’s weaker performances but highlights him at his best. The latter is apparent on tracks like “9-24-7000,” “Let It Rain” and “My Right Lung.” The biggest standout, “La Luna,” includes his best rapping on the project, which is placed over a gorgeous, Alchemist-produced instrumental. Though the album is slightly underwhelming and lacks any significant growth in Bronson, it does contain some of his best songs, funniest lines and gorgeous instrumentals.